The Lion Sleeps Tonight
by buckminsterbarnes
Summary: Captain Kirk and his crew find themselves stranded on a jungle planet with a ruthless and revenge-crazed enemy and his army that wants nothing more than to destroy them. The army of native creatures have the advantage - they know the jungle better than anyone. Can Captain Kirk and his crew make it through the remorseless jungle and return to their beloved ship?
1. An Enemy Awakens

"It's just a little farther, I swear." Kirk laughed as he looked over his shoulder and saw McCoy struggling to climb up the steep, rocky hill under the weight of his backpack.

"You said that _fifteen minutes ago,_ Jim." McCoy grumbled, shifting the overweight pack on his shoulders. "I'm no spring chicken, here."

"May I offer some assistance with your pack, doctor?" Spock trotted up behind McCoy.

"No, you may _not._ " McCoy growled and pulled the straps on his backpack tighter to his chest.

"Very well." Spock responded with the Vulcan equivalent of a shrug and gracefully climbed up to be beside Kirk.

"I can see the camp from here, Bones," Kirk yelled as he saw the huts clad in fallen leaves and built from the thin wood of the jungle at the top of the hill.

"Remind me again why we couldn't just, I don't know, _beam_ up there to begin with?" McCoy huffed as he pulled himself slowly up the hill.

"Too much interference," Sulu chimed in from behind McCoy. "This was the only clear landing zone."

"Aye, but if I knew that we were takin' the scenic route, I woulnae have signed up," Scotty panted from behind Sulu.

"I think it's nice to get away," Uhura sighed, swiftly climbing to join Kirk and Spock in the front of the pack.

"All I'm sayin' is tha it'd be nicer with a wee bit o' whiskey." Scotty chuckled.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll have whiskey in the camp," Kirk laughed.

"Captain, the odds of the underdeveloped inhabitants of this system having-" Spock started.

"Yeah, yeah." McCoy sharply interrupted him between breaths. "Next to none."

The party continued their trek up the rocky hill, leaving the dense jungle behind them. The humid air made their sweat cling to their uniforms, making each and every one of them sticky and uncomfortable. The heavy packs full of rations for the natives weighed them down, making them feel as though they were about to tumble down the steep incline that they had just defeated.

"Here we are," Kirk smiled as he pulled himself up over the last stretch of rocks and onto the grassy plain at the top. He extended a hand down to McCoy, helping the doctor pulls his weight and the weight of the backpack over the hill.

"About damn time," McCoy grumbled as he pushed himself of the ground.

"See? Now we only have to go back down when it's time to leave." Sulu chuckled and everyone groaned.

"Let's just get to the camp already," Scotty rolled his eyes and trudged ahead.

The team pushed through the tall grass of the plains until they arrived at the village camp. The small huts were clustered tightly together, surrounding a small fire pit in the center.

"We're looking for Commander Alexander," Kirk reminded the team as they approached the huts. "The locals probably won't like us that much, but the Commander'll know what to do."

They marched into the camp's center, only to find that there were no inhabitants bustling around like they had expected. Kirk looked around warily, his senses on high alert. Something in his gut told him that this was all wrong. He cautiously set down his pack by the fire and patted the knife in his boot to make sure that it was exactly where he had left it.

Suddenly, a humanoid figure jumped out of the hut, pointing a razor sharp spear at the group. Its pale green skin nearly camouflaged it against the huts, and its beady pink eyes examined them with scrutiny.

"Whoa there," Kirk put up his arms in surrender and the rest of his crew followed his lead. The creature muttered something at him in another tongue, threatening him with the spear. "Uhura? You wanna take this one?" Kirk asked nervously.

"Captain, I don't speak that language," Uhura replied with a hint of shame.

"Can you give it a shot?" Kirk pleaded, watching as the spear drew closer to his chest. He could see now that it was dipped in a deep purple liquid, beads of it dripping from the tip.

"Um," Uhura stammered, then slowly formed some alien words. Kirk watched carefully as the alien slowly brought the spear back and rested it by his side.

"What did you tell him?" Kirk breathed in relief.

"That we're looking for the Commander," Uhura sighed. "I think." The alien disappeared back into the hut, then emerged with a ragged looking man in tow.

"Captain Kirk!" The man's face lit up when he saw the young captain.

"Commander Alexander?" Kirk watched the man carefully as he extended a hand to shake. Kirk took his hand slowly.

"In the flesh," The commander exclaimed. "Please, please! Come in, come in." The commander motioned to the hut. "I insist." Kirk nodded at his crew and they all set down their packs by the pit and followed Kirk inside. "I am so glad that you could make it," The commander motioned to a dusty bamboo-type mat on the floor. "There's so much here that I want the Federation to know about," The commander sat down cross legged in front of him and Kirk warily followed his lead.

"If you don't mind me asking, Commander, where's the rest of your crew? And your equipment?" Kirk asked as he surveyed the inside of the hut, finding only a make-shift communications set up. The rest of the small hut was cluttered with tribal artwork and dried fruit hanging from the ceiling. Kirk turned his attention back to the old commander, the wrinkles on his faces covered in a fine layer of grime. He was no longer wearing his Starfleet uniform, but was instead in his tattered civilian clothing that looked like it'd seen better days.

"Ah, yes. All in due time, Captain. In the mean time, you must prepare yourselves and your crew for the celebratory feast!" The commander bolstered.

"Feast?" Kirk asked skeptically as the commander stood up.

"Yes, yes! The feast!" Kirk stood up cautiously and followed the commander out. "Agrigah will escort you to your quarters," The commander motioned to the small humanoid that had threaten Kirk. The green figure bowed and pointed towards one of the small huts on the other side of the camp, rattling off words in a foreign tongue.

"He says this way," Uhura translated roughly. The alien scampered towards the tents, the crew following awkwardly behind. "He says these two huts are reserved for us." Uhura said as the alien spoke to her. "And that everything that we need to get ready is inside."

Kirk shrugged and ducked into one of the small tents, Spock and McCoy following behind him. Uhura, Sulu, and Scotty disappeared into the other.

"Do you feel like there's something off here too?" Kirk asked, scanning the contents of the small hut. Three flowered leis were spread neatly on a tiny table, accompanied by three headdresses with vibrant feathers protruding from the band.

"Jim, every mission we go on feels a little fishy to me." McCoy sighed and poked around some of the woven baskets on the floor.

"Not _every_ mission. Remember the one in Tallegidia?" Kirk asked, inspecting the silken robes hanging from the ceiling.

"Is the mission that you are referring to the mission where the transport ship crash landed on the planet surface?" Spock added slyly.

"Well, everything _after_ that went well," Kirk grumbled and pulled a robe from the ceiling. "And what's with the lack of inhabitants here?" Kirk asked as he pulled the robe around his shoulders.

"It is likely that they are hunting or gathering, Captain, seeing as there is a feat being prepared tonight." Spock watched Kirk curiously as he lifted a headdress onto his forehead.

"Or they're all dead." McCoy grumbled and kicked over an empty basket.

"Will you quit whining, Bones? We'll be back on the ship in no time." Kirk gingerly placed the lei around his neck.

"You act like I'm desperate to get back on that floating tin can of death." McCoy crossed his arms across his chest.

"We've talked about this, Bones. The Enterprise is a lovely lady." Kirk bunched up a robe and flung it at McCoy, the soft silk wrapping itself across the doctor's face. "Now put these on. No need to upset the locals, or what's left of them anyway."

Spock took the last robe from the hangar and slipped it around his shoulders. Kirk winked at him and tossed him a headdress and threw the lei around his neck.

"You don't think that this is just a _little_ bit ridiculous?" McCoy grumbled as he carefully placed the ornate headdress around his forehead.

" _I_ think that we're going to get food. So it doesn't matter." Kirk smirked and ducked under the doorway of the hut again.

"Lookin' sharp, Capin'." Scotty laughed, the headdress slipping down over his eyes. Kirk winked and snapped his fingers at Scotty, trying to push the uneasy feeling down farther into his gut.

 _It's just going to be a nice feast. Then we're on our way._ Kirk thought nervously as he scanned the camp again.

"Ah, Captain, you and your crew look absolutely _wonderful_ ," The commander approached the group with outstretched arms. "This will surely be a feast to remember." The dirty old commander clapped a hand on Kirk's back. "Now, may I speak with you in private? I seem to remember that you had questions that you wished to be answered. The rest of you may relax in your huts." The commander motioned for Kirk to follow him through the camp, his hand still resting on Kirk's back.

"I'll be back in a little bit." Kirk nodded to his crew, his eyes warning them to remain vigilant.

"Oh! That's right, I nearly forgot." The commander laughed, slapping himself lightly on the top of his balding head. "Silly old man. The natives are very frightened of all our new age technology," The commander said and one of the aliens suddenly appeared beside him with a bamboo box. The team jumped back at the sudden appearance. "If you could just turn all of your communicators and weapons for now, we'll have them back to you in no time." The alien held the box up to Spock who raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Do they always do that?" Kirk asked, trying to steady his breathing after the scare.

"Oh, yes. Their camouflage is quite effective in this setting. Helps them to get around." The commander reassured Kirk and the alien pushed the box towards Kirk. Kirk hesitantly lifted his communicator from his belt and dropped it into the box. "We'll give it back after the feast, I swear it." The commander smiled and Kirk sighed as he dropped his phaser into the box as well. Kirk shot a quick glance to his crew, warning them once again. They slowly followed his lead and dropped their communicators into the box. McCoy held tightly onto his tricorder and medkit as the box circled around to him.

"Now, doctor. Play nice," The commander chuckled and McCoy begrudgingly surrendered his medical supplies. "Very well," The commander pushed gently on Kirk's shoulder, moving him forward.

"So," Kirk cleared his throat as they moved towards the commander's hut again. "You and your crew were stranded on this planet twelve years ago?" Kirk asked, scanning for any more natives that might appear before him.

"Yes, that's correct. Here we were, fighting the great battle of Ulimani, and poof!" The commander paused and gestured with his hands. "Our ship was gone, just like that. Now, that was twelve years ago. As you know, we've been busy building this planet up to become the next star base. Slowly but surely, we've been convincing the natives to let us stay."

"Right," Kirk said uneasily as he ducked into the commander's tent. "But where _is_ the rest of your crew?" He asked as he sat down cross legged on the dusty mat in front of the commander again.

"Now, see, that's where things get complicated." The commander sighed as he took his seat. Suddenly, two alien creatures revealed themselves on both sides of Kirk. Kirk jumped up in a flurry of adrenaline, but was quickly gagged and pushed to the floor. The two small aliens held him down tightly, despite their size. Kirk struggled to pick himself up from the ground, kicking and writhing under the alien's grips. They bound his feet tightly with handmade rope and forced his hands together to tie them up as well. "You see, Captain, this feast _is_ in your honor. Just not of your arrival, but of your sacrifice." The commander stood up and shook his head softly. "To keep my army in line, I have to perform this occasional sacrifice to maintain their trust," The commander continued, kicking dust into Kirk's face. "And now, with your arrival, I finally have the chance to take your ship for myself. After all of these years on this rock, I'll finally be able to show Starfleet what it's like to be powerless."

The commander snapped his fingers and the aliens yanked Kirk up from the ground and stood him on his feet. Kirk struggled to get out of the bondage as they held him up to face the commander.

"I'm sorry Captain, but I'm going to need you to sacrifice your ship to the greater good." The commander spat in Kirk's dirt caked face. "I know that you know what I'm talking about. For how long have you felt powerless? I can see it in your eyes. Starfleet is draining you of your life and free will. They're _using_ you to take it from others. How many lives have you taken for Starfleet?" The commander asked, hatred seething in his eyes.

 _One less than I need to._ Kirk thought and he slammed his forehead into the commander's nose, sending the commander stumbling backwards. The aliens tightened their grips around Kirk's arms.

"Well, I appreciate your moxie," The commander chuckled, holding his nose to stop the crimson blood flowing from it. "But you've already given me all that I need. Your communicators will suffice." The commander pulled back his fist and launched it at Kirk's skull, sending the young Captain toppling to the floor in unconsciousness. "Prepare the ceremony." The commander sneered and the aliens picked Kirk up from the ground and marched him out of the tent.

/

 _Hey, thanks for reading! This is really just a set up chapter, so I promise that things will get more exciting later on. I'm still only starting out with writing fanfiction, so if you have any constructive criticism or comments, I'm all ears. Oh, and I also don't have a beta reader, so please pardon all mistakes. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story, there's so much more to come!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	2. Escape

"You seeing stars there, Jim?" Kirk heard McCoy ask distantly.

"Bones?" Kirk asked groggily and opened his eyes to see the stars dazzling in the sky above him. He looked around in confusion and tried to move, but realized that he was bound to a stiff wooden pole under his back.

"Yeah, we're all here, Jim. You alright?" McCoy asked and Kirk craned his head to find the doctor tied to the same pole by his feet. He looked down and saw the small alien creatures lifting the pole above their heads and marching them away.

"I'm fine," Kirk squeezed his eyes shut and fought back the pulsing pain in his head. "What's going on?"

"I was hoping you could tell us," McCoy sighed and Kirk opened his eyes again.

"Sh*t." Kirk cursed quietly, the memories flooding back to him. "It's Commander Alex. He's gone off the rails." Kirk wriggled in his restraints, trying to break free.

"Well, I figured _that_ much, but do you have any clue why?" McCoy asked.

"Something about trying to teach Starfleet a lesson?" Kirk grunted as he pulled hard at the restraints on his hands.

"You're concussed." McCoy sighed heavily.

"I'm _fine_ Bones, I swear." Kirk insisted as he yanked on the restraints some more. The small alien beneath him yelled something at him in its native tongue and prodded Kirk with his spear, grazing Kirk's side.

"Jim?" McCoy asked, hearing Kirk's squeak of pain. "You okay?" McCoy asked frantically.

"I'm fine," Kirk grumbled, looking at this wound. "They don't like it when you struggle, apparently."

The aliens marched Kirk and his crew to the large bonfire pit in the center of the camp. Kirk could barely see as they passed the huts, now riddled with the creatures. They suddenly broke the long wooden stick that they were strung to into a separate section for each of the crew members, then shoved each portion into the ground of the pit. Kirk looked around frantically to see the commander sitting on a wooden throne at the edge of the pit, reclining comfortably as the aliens offered him up pieces of the rations that the crew had brought down. The commander smirked as he saw Kirk's gaze set on him, and Kirk felt his blood run cold.

"Let the ritual begin!" The commander bellowed and reached his hands to the sky and the aliens all cheered. Kirk watched in horror as a small alien on the edge of the pit began to strike a rock, creating small sparks.

"If anyone wants to pull a Luke Skywalker C-3PO here, I'm all for it!" Kirk yelled as he struggled with his bonds again.

The alien struck the rock again and a small spark leaped from the rock and landed on the tinder in the fire pit. The entire pit suddenly erupted into a blaze, the flames dancing at Kirk's feet. Kirk cursed under his breath as he stripped the skin from his wrists, trying to pull himself free.

"Any great ideas, Jim?" Kirk could barely hear McCoy over the roaring flames.

"I'm working on it!" He hollered back as he felt the rope twisting on his wrists. The heat from the fire burned on Kirk's legs as the flames climbed higher. He could feel the rope begin to expand with the heat and he ripped his hands free. He swiftly reached into his boot and pulled out the gleaming silver knife that he always had tucked away and sliced the restraints on his waist and feet, then climbed to the top of the stake. He looked around and saw his crew all in a line on their stakes, each of them struggling to break free before the flames engulfed them.

 _I'm an idiot._ Kirk thought and took a deep breath before launching himself to the stake beside him that held a writhing McCoy. Kirk slid down the steak and cut McCoy free, then pulled him up the pole to escape the flames.

"Now what?" McCoy yelled over the din of the screaming aliens and the roaring flames. Kirk shrugged and threw himself to the next stake, cutting down Spock. He continued down the line, cutting each of his crew members down.

"Jump!" Kirk yelled and his crew looked at him in disbelief. "Out of the fire, go!" Kirk commanded and his crew jumped from the poles and out of the pit, only to be met with the aliens wielding their poison-soaked spears. Kirk threw himself from the flames and on top of an alien, sending them both crashing to the ground. Kirk snatched the spear from the ground beside him and drove it into the creature's chest, draining the life from it. He pulled the spear from the corpse and dashed to his crew members who were struggling to fight off the alien army.

"Make a break for the jungle!" Kirk screamed at his crew and they all broke free from the enemy's line and sprinted to the rocky part of the hill. Kirk followed quickly behind them, slashing at the occasional alien that stood in his way. He snatched a flaming stick from the fire pit and tossed it into the commander's hut, the dried trees instantly catching fire. He made it to the edge of the hill and hurled himself down it, narrowly avoiding being skewered by spears tearing through the air. He watched his crew make a mad dash for the tree line, hurdling all of the rocks and boulders. As he jumped around all of the obstacles, he couldn't help but be prideful of his team. He watched as Sulu stopped to help Scotty over a large boulder. He watched as Spock scooped up McCoy after the doctor stumbled to the ground. He watched his crew disappear into the tree line.

Kirk spared half a second and watched the army of creatures chasing behind him, swiftly dodging every obstacle their paths. He turned his attention back to the treeline and tried to forget that they were gaining ground every second that passed.

"Fire!" Kirk could hear the commander cry out and suddenly all of the aliens behind him stopped dead in their tracks and turned back to the camp. Kirk breathed in relief as he took a glance and saw them all rushing to the camp that was now all ablaze. He jumped the last obstacle and dove into the treeline, the thick foliage making him disappear from sight.

"Jim?" Kirk heard McCoy call and he sprinted in that direction. He pushed through the leaves and branches and found his crew huddling together in a clearing. "You're alive," McCoy sighed in relief and immediately scanned Kirk's body for injuries.

"That could've gone better," Kirk sighed heavily as he examined his crew. They all looked worn, their clothing charred and burned. They coughed up soot with every breath. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, drawing closer to the group.

"We're all fine, Captain." Sulu replied promptly.

"Good. We need to head deeper if we want to lose them." Kirk trudged forward through the thick foliage.

"What took you so long?" Scotty asked, huffing at the back of the group.

"I may or may not have set the camp on fire," Kirk shrugged, pushing back another leaf.

"You _what?"_ McCoy asked in disbelief.

"I couldn't let them contact the Enterprise," Kirk said hesitantly.

"Yeah, and how are _we_ supposed to contact the Enterprise?" McCoy scoffed, trying to catch up to Kirk.

"The wreckage of the USS Mercedes, it has to be around here somewhere. We can salvage it for parts," Kirk said nervously, already seeing the holes in his plan.

"Captain, it is very likely that the ship has already been salvaged. The odds of us finding the parts that we need are nearly six billion to one." Spock added and Kirk sucked in a sharp breath.

"Well, it's a good thing that we've got a master engineer here to fix up what we need," Kirk replied, trying to put a positive spin on things. He could begin to feel the severe burns on his arms and legs and with every step he took, a new intensity was brought on. "Everyone alright back there?" Kirk shot a glance over his shoulder and saw the worn expression of his crew.

"We've all got minor burns," McCoy huffed. "But we'll be alright."

"We'll get out of here," Kirk sighed, watching as they ventured deeper and deeper into the barbarous jungle. "I promise."


	3. It's No Camping Trip

Kirk woke up to a sharp burning pain on his legs. He opened his mouth to scream, but a firm hand was pressed against his mouth. He recoiled in agony and saw McCoy with a small trunk filled with water standing over his legs.

"Sorry, Jim, but I had to treat it." McCoy shrugged and poured the rest of the water onto his bare legs. Kirk tried to scream again, but the hand remained clamped around his mouth. When McCoy had finished, Kirk ripped the hand off of his mouth and saw a surprised Spock standing behind him.

"You owe us an explanation, Jim." McCoy sighed and sat down next to Kirk, picking up the crisp green leaves sitting in a pile beside him.

"It was clear at our arrival that the commander was violating the Prime Directive." Spock said plainly and sat down next to Kirk. "Why did we not know about this prior to our arrival?"

"Where's everyone else?" Kirk looked around to see that their small camp by the riverside had been vacated.

"Out scouting," McCoy began to wrap the large leaves tenderly around Kirk's charred legs. "Now, answer the damn question."

"I didn't know that he was in violation before we left." Kirk grumbled, watching McCoy carefully. "I was told that we were supposed to deliver the rations to Alexander and his crew, who were building the star base clear of the natives. I didn't even know that there were natives on this planet," Kirk admitted, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Then why didn't we leave as soon as you saw those green-skinned sons of b*tches?" McCoy asked, tying a strip of thin bark around the wrapped leaves to hold them in place.

"I..." Kirk trailed off, but was met with the expecting glances of McCoy and Spock. "It's complicated." Kirk mumbled and looked down at his legs.

"Well, then _un_ complicate it." McCoy insisted, moving his leaves to Kirk's other leg.

"Commander Alexander," Kirk paused, trying to force the words from his mouth. "He knew my father. They were good friends. And, I guess, I was just hoping..." Kirk trailed off again, shame rising in his stomach.

"You were just hoping that he could tell you more about your dad," McCoy inferred with a heavy sigh. "Well, next time you bring us all on a nostalgia mission, make sure that you aren't risking all of our a**es." McCoy tied the next strip of bark a little too tightly and Kirk yelped in pain.

"Captain, I understand that human emotion is to blame for our current situation. However, what I do not understand is why you did not alert us of the circumstances." Spock said softly.

"Because I'm embarrassed!" Kirk cried out, trying to pull himself away from McCoy. "I should've been more responsible. I should've known better. I should've done something else!" He sighed and let his gaze drop back to his legs. "And now we're all in serious danger because I couldn't resist trying to know more about my dead father."

"Jim, I get it. I really do." McCoy pulled Kirk's hand to himself and inspected the burns. "But we're going to need you to keep it together. You got us into this mess, but you're going to have to be the one to get us out." McCoy said firmly and waited until Kirk's eyes met his own. "You can't quit on us now just because you made a crappy decision."

Kirk held McCoy's gaze, then sighed in defeat. "I won't let you down, Bones."

"Good boy." McCoy patted him on the head and stood up slowly. "Now, I'm going to get you some more water for those burns. You sit tight." McCoy scooped up his tree bark container and made his way to the river bank.

"Captain," Sulu called, pushing back the leaves of the jungle and coming out into the open of the clearing. Kirk stood up shakily to meet him, Spock standing up beside him, watching carefully. "We've got nothing on the wreckage." Sulu sighed, standing stiffly in front of Kirk.

"Don't worry about it," Kirk shrugged and scanned the area for Uhura and Scotty. "It's not going to be easy to find. But, chances are, it's going to be close to the camp, so at least we've got that going for us."

"Aye, Capin'." Scotty emerged from the jungle, covered in leaves and scratches. "But there's still no telling what'll be left of the ship."

"And won't the Enterprise be sending down security teams if they don't hear from us in a couple of days?" Uhura asked, pushing through the leaves and into the clearing.

"There's a good chance they'll be ambushed when they come down," Kirk said, the wheels in his brain turning quickly. "So, we've got to be ready to protect them. This means that when we migrate from camp to camp, we can't stray too far from the beam-down point so we won't lose track of them." Kirk leaned down and picked up the spear that he stole from the natives. "But we can't rely on them. We've got to try and contact the Enterprise first."

"And what happens if _we_ get ambushed by the natives first?" Uhura asked, placing her hand on her hip.

"We'll have to fight them off." Kirk said, throwing the spear to Sulu. "Which means that we'll need weapons." Kirk looked around the small camp and saw the small, smoldering fire. "We've got to play by their rules. We don't know anything about these creatures. If they can track us by scent, if they have thermal vision, or even if they can sense movement. All we know is that they can camouflage themselves on command. That means that we'll have to prepare ourselves for everything." Kirk reached down and scooped up a blob of dirt and smeared it on his face. His crew members looked at him in disgust, expect for Spock, who followed suit. The rest of the crew hesitantly followed his lead, including McCoy, who mumbled curses under his breath the entire time.

"It is likely that the native inhabitants are attempting to track us down as we speak. We must move our camp regularly to avoid being caught." Spock folded his hands behind his back politely.

"We should try to stick along the river, if we can. It's our best option." Kirk nodded in the direction of the river. "But, like I said, we can't stray too far from the beam-down point. And, we should all plan on sticking near each other. No ventures alone in the woods. It'll be easy for them to flank us that way." Kirk scanned the edge of the jungle, searching for any type of movement. "We'll need to conduct scouting missions and hunting missions. We can't starve to death out here."

"We don't know what's safe to eat," McCoy interrupted. "The last thing that we need is someone dropping from food poisoning."

"We're going to have to go with our guts." Kirk shrugged. "Not literally. But, as long as we cook _everything_ we should be okay."

"Jim, I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't think any of us here except for maybe you got our merit badges for survival in the jungle," McCoy shook his head.

"Then we'll just have to adapt." Kirk shrugged. "Out here, it's the survival of the fittest."

/

 _Wow. I am not loving this story so far. Sorry about all of the plot holes and the really uninteresting chapter, but I had to try to mend some of my mistakes. I'm hoping that if I keep going with this story, it'll get better. Well, thanks for sticking it out and reading this far._

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	4. The Hunter Inside Beckons

Every slight breeze shuffled the leaves around him. The sunlight peering in from the treetops offered an almost false sense of tranquility. Kirk crouched in the bend of a tree, his eyes darting with every slight movement. He watched carefully, ignoring the beads of sweat forming on his painted forehead. His hand was curled tightly around a handmade bow, his other arm stretched behind him, his fingers dangling over the feather topped arrows in his animal skin quiver.

A small shifting of leaves in the distance made his head snap in that direction. He let his fingers wrap around an arrow as he watched a wild boar-like creature push through the leaves, sniffing at the dirt. Kirk waited for it to come further into the clearing, the creature huffing as it stuck its snout in the ground. As soon as the creature was fully visible, Kirk quickly drew his bow and released an arrow that stabbed into the creature's chest. It squealed in pain and thudded to the ground.

Kirk scanned the area for movement once again, then leaped from his tree perch, carefully avoiding crunching on dry leaves. The felled creature lay in front of him, its thick body fat no longer rising and falling shakily. Kirk yanked the arrow from its body and slipped it back into his quiver. He took a deep breath and yanked it up off the ground and threw it onto his shoulders. He was nearly crushed by the weight of the pig-like creature, but he heaved it further onto his shoulders and began trudging back to the camp.

He pushed through the leaves silently, watching and listening with every step he took. He had memorized the landscape on his way to the perch, and now he was simply retracing his steps.

"Dinner." Kirk said, flopping his bounty to the ground of their small camp.

"Took you long enough," McCoy muttered and stood up from around the campfire and brushed off his hands. "You were out there for six hours." McCoy wandered over and began to inspect the animal.

"It's all about patience, Bones." Kirk chuckled and pulled the knife from his boot then placed it in McCoy's palm.

"Didn't know you had it in you," McCoy grumbled as he leaned down to begin cleaning the animal.

"How's the scouting coming?" Kirk asked Spock, who was hunched over their dirt map of the surrounding jungle.

"The scouting team is scheduled to return in point-oh-nine hours." Spock stood up to greet the captain. Kirk examined the lines and symbols carved in the dirt before him.

"And you got back an hour ago?" Kirk asked, looking longingly for the ship's wreckage on the map.

"Affirmative." Spock answered politely.

"And you didn't find anything?" Kirk asked, already knowing the answer.

"Unfortunately, I did not, Captain." Spock answered and Kirk heaved a heavy sigh.

"What about the beam-up point?" Kirk pointed to the small circle that represented the beam-up point.

"The scouting team that is currently out has orders to visit the beam-up point." Spock said and Kirk turned his attention back to McCoy, who had begun skinning the animal.

"No use in waiting around idly, then." Kirk sighed and dropped his bow and quiver on their tree-stump table. "You need any help, Bones?"

"I need you to drink some water," McCoy replied. "And go wash up in the river a little bit. We can't afford anyone getting bitten by any of these damned bugs and getting infected."

"Got it," Kirk waved his hand at McCoy and started back into the wilderness to find the river. He could hear the rushing river as he ventured deeper into the jungle, and he followed his ears all the way to the rocky bank. He slipped off his dirty command shirt and hung it on a limb and yanked his boots from his feet. He stared a the shore for a brief second, scanning the way for danger.

Once he decided that he was alone, he slipped of his pants and flung them onto the limb as well. He waded into the cold-rushing water and splashed some on his muddy face. The cool water was refreshing, melting the sweat from his brow.

"Are those standard issue boxers?" Uhura laughed from the river bank and Kirk stumbled back into the water, his head dunking under. He popped back up and stood up quickly.

"Jesus, Uhura! You want to give me a heart attack?" Kirk asked, trying to steady his breathing.

"Relax, Captain Jumpy. Just wanted to let you know that we were back." Uhura leaned against a tree as Kirk hurriedly waded to the shore and struggled to pull his pants back around his legs.

"Any luck?" Kirk asked, poking his head through the hole in his shirt and shimmying it down his chest.

"Nothing much. Scotty's going to give you the whole report at dinner." Uhura shrugged and folded her arms across her chest.

"Thanks," Kirk mumbled and started back through the treeline. Uhura followed him closely until they reached the camp once again.

"All I'm sayin', is that maybe our best chance is to see what we can salvage from the Commander's camp," Scotty argued animatedly, throwing his arms at Spock.

"Do that, and we all get swarmed by those abracadabra creatures." Kirk said and Scotty immediately stepped away from Spock and tucked his arms away behind his back.

"I'm jus sayin', Capin'. There's no tellin' jus what we can salvage from the wreckage, if we can even find it." Scotty argued, though a little more politely than he had with Spock.

"You know that our best bet is keep looking for the wreckage and wait for the other landing party to show up," Kirk said firmly, taking a seat by the fire.

"It's been _three days_ Captain. And still, we've found nary a thing." Scotty pleaded, sitting across the fire from Kirk.

"We'll just have to keep looking, then. Maybe we're just looking in the wrong places." Kirk mused, watching as McCoy began to lay out sticks of meat across the fire.

"Let me see those burns again," McCoy flopped down next to Kirk and brushed his hands off. Kirk reluctantly gave him his arm and McCoy examined it carefully.

"Sulu," Kirk called, and Sulu stood stiffly in front of Kirk.

"Yes, Captain?" Sulu asked politely.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to explore the far side of the hill. Are you in?" Kirk asked, pulling his arm back from McCoy, who mumbled under his breath.

"Yes, Captain." Sulu nodded and Kirk smiled at him.

"Excellent. Maybe we can turn out some results then." Kirk flipped the sticks of meat over the fire as the rest of the crew assembled around the fire. "But tonight, we feast." Kirk announced, clinging desperately to any morale that might be left. "To the Enterprise, or bust!" He cheered.

"The Enterprise, or bust!" The rest of the crew chimed in, and Kirk got the sinking feeling that bust might be a very likely outcome.

"You and Sulu had better be careful tomorrow," McCoy whispered to Kirk as the rest of the crew began to chat among themselves. "What you're doing is practically suicide."

"It's our only shot," Kirk whispered back. "If we don't find some sort of communication soon, there's no telling if Alexander's going to make it to the ship before us."

"Well, you'd better not come back to me in a thousand pieces. I don't enjoy stitching you up, you know. And, if you get hurt, you're going to be a long way from camp." McCoy grabbed a piece of meat from the fire and began to gnaw on it uneasily.

"We'll be careful, Bones. Don't worry. Besides, when have you ever had to stitch me up before?" Kirk jested and McCoy smacked him on the back of his head.

"Idiot." McCoy grumbled and smiled at his best friend.

Kirk looked around at his crew. He realized that he would do whatever it took to save them all. But, deep down, he couldn't fight the feeling that something was about to go very wrong.

/

 _Yikes. Another uninteresting chapter. I promise, the next chapter or so should be packed with action and excitement. I'm still not too happy with this story, but I'm forcing myself to finish this one before I start another. Anyway, thanks for sticking with this story and I hope that you enjoyed it._

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	5. A Dangerous Venture

Kirk looked out around the cascading green surrounding him an all sides. Every small movement, shifting in the brush, rustling leaves in the wind, were all quickly assessed and categorized in Kirk's mind. He tread forward slowly and cautiously, every step he took preserving the stillness of the jungle around him.

Sulu followed Kirk's footsteps closely, trying to match his pace and movement exactly. Sulu was awed at how seamlessly Kirk seemed to blend into the surroundings. If he hadn't been following the captain, he was sure that he would never see him coming.

Kirk stopped abruptly in front of Sulu, nearly causing a collision between the two men. He turned on his heel and motioned to his left and Sulu turned his head to see.

"The camp's just through that patch," Kirk whispered almost silently. "We've made it to the other side of the ridge."

"Now what?" Sulu asked, matching Kirk's volume.

"Now, we go back." Kirk started forward again, but Sulu grabbed his arm.

"Wait," Sulu said and Kirk stopped to face him. "We're just going to go back empty handed?"

"Yeah," Kirk scoffed. "We'll regroup and go back out tomorrow. Come up with a different plan." He shrugged. Sulu nodded in agreement begrudgingly and followed Kirk back towards their base.

Kirk stopped again, all of his muscles tense and on high alert. Sulu froze too, quietly pulling the spear in his hands to a ready position.

"Get down!" Kirk screamed and tackled Sulu to the ground. A spear tore through the trees and ripped itself into Kirk's side. Kirk screamed out in anguish as Sulu scrambled to his feet and tossed the spear through the treeline. A horrific scream echoed through the woods as the camouflaged alien became visible and collapse to the ground, spear through its heart.

"Dammit," Kirk groaned, gripping at the spear embedded into his side. Pangs of white hot pain shot through his body.

"Captain!" Sulu's eyes went wide as he knelt down beside Kirk.

"You've got to get out of here, Sulu. Warn the others." Kirk's eyes squeezed shut in pain. "Get them out of here."

"I'm not leaving you here," Sulu grabbed Kirk's arm and attempted to help him to his feet.

"Sulu, that's an order." Kirk cried through gritted teeth.

"With all due respect, Captain. I don't think that you're in any position to be giving orders." Sulu tugged on Kirk's arm until he was sitting up. He wrapped his arm around Kirk's waist, carefully avoiding the spear, and pulled him up to his feet.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" Kirk managed a weak laugh as Sulu dragged him through the brush.

"Sure, Captain. _I'm_ the jerk." Sulu rolled his eyes and smiled. _Keep him talking, Hiraku._ He thought to himself as he watched Kirk struggle to move his feet.

"Yeah! Remember that time on the away mission in Gropapa when you jumped in and took out all those guys with your sword? I _totally_ had that covered, but then you just had to come in and show off!" Kirk wheezed.

"They had you tied down and at gunpoint, Captain. I came in there and saved you!" Sulu laughed as he pulled Kirk up back to his feet.

"I had it covered," Kirk laughed quietly. "Seriously, though. Where there's one hunter, there's likely to be more. So try and keep the volume down." Kirk said, his eyes beginning to droop shut.

"And what would Doctor McCoy say if I brought you back unconscious?" Sulu huffed, trying to move them through the jungle faster. He could feel Kirk fading fast at his side. "And more importantly, what would he do to me?"

"Are you saying that you're scared of Bones?" Kirk chuckled, trying desperately to cling on to consciousness. "He's just a big old teddy bear."

"A teddy bear with access to about a million different medical supplies that could put you into a coma." Sulu bantered, scanning the woods around him. He picked out some of the landmarks near the camp. _Almost there._

"Yeah." Kirk sighed, feeling all of the energy run out of his body. His side burned, the shooting pain radiating from the wound.

"Don't you dare go to sleep on me, Captain." Sulu whispered sternly, pulling him faster through the underbrush.

"I'm doing my best," Kirk replied, his words beginning to slur together. Sulu felt a new wave of adrenaline pump through his veins as he came to the long, twisted tree near their camp.

"Hang on a little bit longer," Sulu pleaded, looking down to see Kirk's legs dragging limply under him.

"K." Kirk replied quietly, his muscles beginning to give out.

Sulu pushed them through the final stretch of jungle and into the clearing. McCoy jumped up from his seat at the sound and snapped his head in that direction.

"Sulu?" He asked quietly before noticing the ragged captain by his side. "Jim!" McCoy dashed to Sulu's side and took Kirk's other arm. "What happened?" McCoy asked, staring at the spear protruding from Kirk's side.

"We were on our way back, and one of the hunters found us." Sulu replied, helping McCoy lay Kirk on the woven leaf bed by the fire.

"Grab me that bowl of water and some of those long ferns," McCoy instructed, kneeling down by Kirk's side. "Jim, can you hear me?" McCoy asked, inspecting the wound.

"Bones," Kirk said groggily, his eyes fighting to open. "Poisoned." Kirk managed weakly before his eyes began to flutter closed. McCoy clamped a hand over Kirk's mouth and twisted the spear slightly. Kirk's eyes snapped open and he screamed into McCoy's hands.

"That'll teach you not to fall asleep," McCoy grumbled and Sulu dropped the supplies by McCoy's side. "I'll need some more thick leaves," McCoy instructed and Sulu raced off to find it. "Don't hate me for this, Jim." McCoy sighed and flipped Kirk onto his side.

"Bones, what are you-" Kirk started, but was interrupted by McCoy snapping the spear at one end and pushing the other side through his back. He gritted his teeth to try and keep himself from screaming, the pain nearly overwhelming him.

"I told you," McCoy didn't let up pace as he clamped a large leaf over Kirk's wound in the back and threw the spear to the side. "This isn't going to feel great, either." He warned as he fished an ember from the fire with a stick and pushed it onto Kirk's skin. Kirk cried out in anguish as the coal seared his already tender skin. McCoy quickly flipped Kirk onto his back and peeled the leaf from Kirk's back and pushed another coal onto Kirk's skin. Kirk cried out again, his eyes shut tight in agony.

"You're a sadist," Kirk managed through gritted teeth as McCoy flipped him back on his back and sat him up.

"Don't be such an infant," McCoy mumbled as he lifted Kirk up to his feet again. Kirk's legs buckled beneath him as he struggled to stay upright. "We have to sit you up to slow the spread of that poison," McCoy explained as he lowered Kirk down and propped him up on the tree stump table. Kirk closed his eyes tightly as McCoy readjusted him and pried the dirty shirt off of his sticky skin. Sulu reemerged from the jungle with an armful of leaves. He dropped them beside McCoy and knelt down beside him.

"The water bowl, Sulu." McCoy demanded and Sulu handed him the small dish of water. McCoy pressed the dish to Kirk's lips and placed a hand on his neck as he tilted his head back. He poured the water into Kirk's mouth as he struggled to gulp it down. "That's it, Jim." McCoy set the bowl down beside him and placed a hand on Kirk's forehead. "Jim, are you feeling hot?" McCoy asked, his hand still resting on Kirk's burning forehead.

"'m cold." Kirk's eyes began drooping. McCoy swore under his breath and handed the bowl back to Sulu.

"Go get some more water and sterilize it," McCoy instructed and Sulu rushed off. "Jim, I need you to stay awake." McCoy pleaded.

"'s my fault, Bones." Kirk sighed.

"Don't worry about that right now, Jim." McCoy snapped as he began to wrap large leaves around Kirk's midsection.

"'s my fault! Kirk insisted, letting his head rest on the tree-stump.

"So what?" McCoy asked. "So what if you got us into this crappy situation, but I'm going to make damned sure that you get us out of here!" McCoy said sharply.

"'m sorry." Kirk said softly and his eyes drooped shut.

"Jim?" McCoy asked frantically. "Jim!" McCoy shook Kirk's shoulders, but Kirk couldn't be aroused. Sulu burst out of the brush, nearly spilling the bowl of water.

"What happened?" Sulu panted, dropping the water bowl on top of the fire rack and racing to McCoy's side.

"It's the fever," McCoy huffed and cursed under his breath. "We're going to have to wait it out."

"Is he going to be okay?" Sulu asked, watching Kirk's chest rise and fall shakily.

"He's a strong kid." McCoy said, his heart breaking seeing his friend like this yet again. "He'll pull through." McCoy said, hoping that Sulu didn't catch the hint of hesitation on his lips. _He has to._

/

 _Finally, some action! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Maybe I can salvage this story after all... Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	6. The Knights of the Campfire

"How's he doing?" Uhura asked, peeking over the fire at McCoy, who was tenderly laying another ragged old shirt compress on Kirk's burning forehead.

"Not great," McCoy said gruffly, gingerly pressing his fingers against Kirk's wrist. He sat in silence for a second, listening to the thready heartbeat of the young captain.

"What can we do?" Scotty asked, prodding at the embers in the fire, trying to keep the flames alive.

"We've got to get him back to the ship," McCoy shifted slightly and leaned his back against the tree stump next to Kirk. "I can't do anything else for him."

"But how?" Sulu asked, pulling his gaze from the dancing flames.

"Perhaps Mr. Scott was correct." Spock said after a long pause, not looking away from the dazzling stars above the camp. "Perhaps the only solution is to raid the enemy camp in a desperate attempt to reattain our communicators."

"And what's the likelihood of that working out?" McCoy spat cynically. "If Jim thought that was the way to do things, then we would've done it that way already." He crossed his arms against his chest.

"I will admit, Doctor, that the chances are less than desirable. However, I fail to see a more suitable plan." Spock answered sharply.

"Well, we can always wait for an rescue party, _like Jim suggested_." McCoy snapped back while the rest of the team sat in awkward silence.

"I find it illogical that you trust the captain's opinion on the matter," Spock shot back and McCoy's mouth gaped. "Is his poor judgment on this particular subject the very reason that we find ourselves in this situation?"

"Listen here, you green-blooded son of a b*tch," McCoy snarled and charged at Spock. Sulu and Scotty quickly jumped up and held him back.

"It is nothing against the captain, doctor. You misunderstand." Spock said, trying to hide the hint of guilt in his tone. "I am simply implying that his judgment had been... temporarily impaired, due to the emotion nature of his father's connection with Commander Alexander."

"Spock, knock it off." Uhura snapped. "He knows what you meant. And Leonard, you know better." Uhura stared down the two men, who cowered slightly under her gaze. "Now, you listen to me. The last thing that we need here is you two fighting. We have to stick together."

"The lass is right," Scotty piped up, finally letting go of McCoy's arm. "We don' stand a chance if we start to fall apart,"

"So what do we do?" Sulu asked quietly and everyone fell silent.

"We vote." Uhura finally answered and sat calmly back down around the fire. The men reluctantly followed her lead and sat down. "All in favor of waiting for a rescue team to beam down, raise your hand." She breathed and McCoy's arm shot up. He looked around in horror as he realized that his hand was the only one that was raised.

"It's settled, then." Spock said, barely masking the hurt in his heart. "Tomorrow we attack the camp to reattain our communicators."

"Wait just a minute," McCoy protested, but Uhura's gaze slowed him down.

"You'll stay here with the captain," Uhura said softly. "The rest of us will leave at sunrise."

"Get some rest," Spock commanded and Sulu, Uhura, and Scotty nodded. "I will take first watch." The rest of the crew laid down, save for McCoy.

"It's a suicide mission, Spock." McCoy mumbled after he heard the rhythmic breathing of the rest of the team.

"I am doing what I can to save Jim." Spock replied in a hushed tone. "He would do the same for any of us," Spock looked over at the broken captain, the sweat beading on his forehead and his chest rising and falling shakily.

"But what would he say about all of you risking your lives on a fool's errand?" McCoy hissed. "He won't forgive himself if any of you get hurt, you know." _And neither will I._ He thought to himself.

"I suppose that we will just have to take caution, then." Spock whispered in response. "But this is our only chance to save him."

/

 _Okay, I know that this was a really short chapter, but I have another one in the works and it should come out really soon. I hope you're enjoying the story so far!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	7. A Daring Rescue

Kirk's eyes fluttered open, his head spinning and his stomach threatening to empty its contents. He looked around groggily and saw McCoy knelt down beside him, holding a sopping wet shirt strip above his forehead.

"Jim!" McCoy breathed, a smile lighting up across his face. "You're awake!"

"F*ck." Kirk muttered, the searing pain in his side reigniting.

"I figured you'd say that." McCoy shook his head and dropped the shirt strip back into the bowl and grabbed Kirk's arm. He placed his fingers gently on Kirk's wrist, finding his pulse. "How are you feeling?"

"Like sh*t." Kirk sighed heavily and scanned the camp. "Where's everyone?" McCoy's eyes dropped to the ground as he shuffled the large leaves around in his hands. "Bones," Kirk warned. McCoy splashed the bowl of water at Kirk's side on his burn, and Kirk clenched his teeth in pain. "Rude." Kirk snarled as he looked down at the burn. "Where'd they go, Bones?" Kirk asked sternly.

"They went to raid the camp." McCoy sighed and Kirk's eyes went wide.

"They what?" Kirk asked quietly, the words still processing in his head.

"They went to get the communicators back." McCoy said quietly, wrapping Kirk's side again in heavy leaves.

" _What_?" Kirk breathed, then threw himself away from the tree stump in a desperate attempt to stand up. He toppled to the ground, McCoy barely catching his shoulder and holding his injured side away from the ground.

"Dammit, Jim!" McCoy huffed as he struggled to pull Kirk back up again. Kirk wriggled under McCoy's grip as he tried to fight to stand up. "Sit back down!" Kirk finally gave up as the pain in his side and head began to overcome him.

"How could you just let them go?" Kirk asked, the physical and emotional pain shining through on his face as McCoy propped him back up against the tree stump. McCoy avoided looking directly into Kirk's eyes, because he knew that the pain would be overwhelming.

"I _didn't_ Jim. I fought them on it. They wouldn't listen." McCoy said quietly, trying to diffuse the situation.

"This is all my fault." Kirk sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head rest against the tree stump.

"Jim, we've been over this." McCoy said gently.

"I've got to go after them, Bones." Kirk pleaded.

"You've still got poison in your system, Jim. Your fever may have broken, but that doesn't mean you're all better. The more you move around, the faster the poison moves through your veins," McCoy explained. "There's no telling if you'll even make it two feet without collapsing." Kirk cursed under his breath. "I'm going to go get some more water. You stay put," McCoy warned as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "I mean it."

"Got it." Kirk sighed in defeat as the waves of nausea washed over his body.

McCoy tramped through the jungle until he reached the rushing river. He dipped his bowl in the water, trying to fight off the fatigue consuming him. It killed him to see Kirk in this sorry state, but it killed him even more to know that the rest of the crew was out on a suicide mission. He rubbed his eyes as he pulled the bowl out of the water.

A twig snapped behind him, and he instantly went into high alert. He scanned the trees around him, but saw nothing. As he turned back around to head back to the camp, his legs were swept out from under him and he face-planted into the rocky soil. His arms were suddenly bound behind him and he struggled to break free.

"Jim!" He cried out, but a gag was forced into his mouth and was hoisted up above the alien's heads.

Kirk's eyes snapped open at the sudden scream. His heart was beating out of his chest as he scanned the jungle for movement. He found the bow and quiver that he had left laying by the smoldering fire. He launched himself at them and crawled painfully along the ground to reach them. His fingers curled around the wood and he yanked an arrow out of the quiver and notched it. He scooped up a handful of dirt and tossed it into the wind. It began to collect on a moving mass in front of him and he quickly pulled back the bow string and launched an arrow into the alien's chest. It collapsed in front of him and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bones?" Kirk said quietly, hoping that his friend was in earshot. When he got no response, he sucked in a deep breath and pushed himself up from the ground. The pain in his side was nearly unbearable as he stood shakily. As he moved to take a step forward, he nearly stumbled into the fire before catching his balance once again. "Bones!" Kirk repeated as he crashed through the trees. As he stumbled through the treeline, his sense were back on high alert mode. The adrenaline coursing through his veins helped him to forget the awful pain in his head and side. He pushed through the leaves and found the river bank and the small bowl sitting on the rocks.

Kirk cursed under his breath and scanned the woods for movement once again. A small snapped branch on the treeline caught his attention. He drew closer and saw the trail that McCoy had tried to leave for him. A path was clear to him - snapped branches and fallen leaves would lead him right to his chief medical officer.

Kirk swallowed his pain and began his trek into the jungle to find his friend. He stepped quietly, carefully watching every shift in the trees. He pushed through the leaves, only the adrenaline keeping him going.

He finally made it to the clearing and saw the charred remains of the camp atop the hill. He muttered curses as he saw smoke rising from the camp. _They're going to sacrifice him._ He realized and willed himself forward, taking on the rocky hill once again. He swayed back and forth as he climbed the steep hill, his hands threatening to slip and his body nearly keeling over with every rock he scaled. As he drew closer to the camp, his hand wrapped tightly around the bow as he used the other to push himself up the boulders.

"I told you that you would receive your sacrifices, didn't I?" Kirk heard Commander Alexander bellow and the alien crowd cheered. "However, we cannot celebrate just yet. You see, their captain is still out there. You must not underestimate him. He will come to find his crew members. It's just a matter of time." The commander said as Kirk climbed the last stretch of hill and hid behind what was left of one of the huts. "Remain vigilant! We do not know when he will strike!" The commander yelled and Kirk pulled back his bow and sent an arrow straight into one of the aliens chests. "There!" The commander cried.

Before the aliens disappeared, Kirk quickly memorized where each of them had been. _Two dozen. I can take that. I have twelve arrows. Guess I'll have to get creative._ He thought as he notched another arrow and fired it into another alien. His brain quickly analyzed the alien's locations and he approximated where the closest one would be to him. He struck it with another arrow before it could launch its spear through his chest. He grabbed the spear from the ground as he narrowly dodged another spear whizzing past his head. He stabbed the spear through another alien's chest as he ducked and another flew by his head.

"What are you doing?!" The commander cried. "Kill him already!" He called out as Kirk downed another troop with his bow. A spear came flying through the air and grazed his shoulder, leaving a trail of crimson blood. Kirk yelped in pain as he felt the poison begin to leak into his body.

McCoy attempted to scream Kirk's name through his gag. He struggled with the restraints around his hands and feet from his spot on the post. The rest of the crew, beaten and bloodied hung beside him, watching in horror as Kirk battled with the army.

Kirk dodged another spear as he grabbed another from an alien's hands. He ripped it away from the alien and turned it back on it and ran him through. He launched another arrow, stopping another alien from throwing its spear. Suddenly, Kirk looked around and realized that nothing around him was moving any longer. He scooped up another handful of dirt and threw it to the wind, but it settled on nothing. He counted the bodies scattered around him, and something didn't add up.

"Cowards!" The commander yelled as he watched the remaining aliens retreat into the jungle at the bottom of the hill. Kirk notched his final arrow and aimed it at the commander's heart. "What do you plan on doing with that, boy?" The commander asked, raising his hands in surrender. "Do you really think that you have the guts to kill me?" The commander sneered as Kirk drew closer to him. "I knew your father. He couldn't do it." Kirk's blood ran cold.

" _What?_ " He asked, walking even closer to the commander.

"He had his chance, boy. Ever wonder why he got assigned to the Kelvin in the first place?" The commander asked, backing up slowly.

"Don't move." Kirk said sharply and the commander stopped in his tracks.

"We were on a mission together. All he had to do was kill the mob boss. One little pull of the trigger, and he would've been promoted faster than you can say 'Kelvin explosion'." The commander smiled a crooked smile. "But he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill a man. So, he got assigned to the Kelvin. And, well, the rest is history. He died a coward, just like he lived as one." The commander said coldly and Kirk's anger boiled.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I'm not my father." Kirk's face was stone cold as he released the string and the arrow embedded itself into the commander's heart.

McCoy struggled with his restraints again, trying to catch Kirk's attention. He could see the adrenaline fading fast from the young captain. He began to sway as he struggled to keep his balance. Kirk's head slowly turned to McCoy and the pain in the captain's eyes was almost too much for McCoy to handle. Kirk shuffled towards McCoy, his feet dragging through the dirt.

 _That's it, come on, Jim._ McCoy thought as he watched Kirk slowly make his way to the post. Kirk grabbed and arrow from his quiver and stabbed it into the rope on the post, releasing McCoy's hands. McCoy quickly pulled his hands free and yanked off the gag and lower restraints as he watched Kirk brace himself weakly against the post.

"Jim? Jim!" McCoy cried out as he held Kirk up on his feet.

"'m sorry, Bones." Kirk said weakly as the last of his energy left his body. His body became limp in McCoy's hands as McCoy helped to lower him to the ground. Spock tried to get McCoy's attention from his post, and the doctor looked at him for a brief second. He cursed under his breath as he grabbed the arrow and left Kirk's side to release Spock. As soon as Spock's hands were free, McCoy dashed back to Kirk's side. Spock hurriedly released the rest of the crew from their posts.

"Find the communicators," Spock instructed and raced to Kirk's side.

"Jim, stay with me." McCoy pleaded as the sweat began to form on Kirk's forehead again. He placed his fingers on Kirk's neck and found the thready heartbeat again. Kirk's eyes fluttered closed and McCoy swore. "Dammit, keep your eyes open, Jim!" McCoy cried as he shook Kirk's shoulders.

Uhura burst out of the remains of a hut, holding a communicator triumphantly over her head. "Let's go!" She said and brought the communicator to life. "Too much interference here, we have to get back to the beam-up point!" Uhura instructed and Spock carefully peeled the captain up from the ground and settled him on top of his shoulders.

"Come along, doctor." Spock said, trying to mask his panic. McCoy rolled his eyes and took off down the hill, the rest of the crew hot on his heels. Uhura soon took the lead, the communicator crackling to life in her hands.

"Enterprise!" She called into the communicator.

"Nyota! I am so wery glad to hear your voice!" Chekov's excited voice came over the communicator. "Ve hawe been trying to make contact vith you for-"

"I've got to cut you short, Chekov. The captain's hurt, and we need immediate evac." She said sharply as they approached the clearing for beam-up.

"Six to beam up, Chekov!" Scotty panted from the back of the group.

"I can do zat!" Chekov cheered and the crew felt the familiar fuzzy feeling of the transporter scrambling their molecules.

They re-materialized back aboard the Enterprise, and Spock dropped Kirk gently onto the floor. McCoy knelt down beside him, holding his hand over the gash on Kirk's arm and feeling for his pulse.

"Chekov! I need a med team in here, _now_!" McCoy barked as he felt for the pulse. "Hang on for me, Jim. _Please._ " McCoy begged as he watched the color drain from Kirk's face.

/

 _This story's almost all wrapped up. Thanks for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed it this far._

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


	8. Family Matters

"I've got him on just about every pain killer we have," McCoy sighed and Spock nodded his head in understanding. Spock shifted uncomfortably in the captain's chair, watching the screen before him. "With any luck, he'll be up and about soon."

"That is excellent news." Spock said plainly, trying not to show the relief washing over him.

"Spock, there's an incoming transmission from Starfleet command." Uhura interrupted and McCoy gulped. McCoy had no idea how they were going to explain this one.

"Play it, Lieutenant." Spock commanded and Uhura pulled the transmission up on screen. Admiral Grabon's face appeared on screen, his sharp green eyes piercing the crew's souls.

"Commander Spock," The Admiral started politely. "Can you kindly tell me just what the hell is going on?"

Spock took a deep breath. "Of course, Admiral. A landing party was sent out with supplies to meet Commander Alexander. However, when we reached the site, the commander was dead and the natives attacked the landing party. We barely escaped with our lives. The captain is still in sickbay because of injuries sustained." Spock said plainly and the Admiral nodded slowly.

"I expect all of this to be filed correctly." The Admiral grumbled and the transmission clicked off and was replaced again with bright stars. McCoy breathed in relief and Spock's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Why'd you lie?" Kirk's weak voice piped up from the elevator doors. Everyone's heads turned quickly to see the pale captain bracing himself against the wall.

"Jim, what the hell?!" McCoy snarled and raced towards him. "You should be in bed," He gingerly snatched up Kirk's arm and draped it over his shoulder.

"Why'd you lie?" Kirk asked again, his attention focused on Spock. The entire bridge sat in silence, awaiting Spock's response.

"I did not lie, Captain. I merely omitted certain details." Spock said sternly.

" _Why?_ " Kirk breathed as McCoy dragged him into the elevator.

"The events that transpired, though they could be received that way, were in no way your intentional fault. Starfleet command would be likely to interpret it in that way, so they must not be given the opportunity to do so." Spock watched as Kirk's muscles began to relax. "This way, the commander's legacy will also be preserved." Spock continued and the elevator doors began to slide shut.

"Thank you." Kirk muttered, almost inaudibly as the doors finally closed.

"You are quite welcome, Captain." Spock responded quietly and turned back to the screen. He knew in his heart that Kirk didn't deserve a reprimand for his actions, even though basic logic would tell him otherwise. He figured, Kirk had acted in the only manner he felt was available to him. He could not fault him for that, nor could he let anyone else. He knew that the entire crew would do anything and everything for their captain, and he was no exception to that.

/

"Why'd he do it, Bones?" Kirk asked groggily as McCoy laid him gently onto his biobed.

"Because he cares about you, you big idiot." McCoy grumbled as he watched the readings from the bed. Much to his relief, they were all beginning to stabilize. Kirk was getting better.

"Bones, I don't deserve that." Kirk muttered and McCoy folded his arms across his chest.

"Dammit Jim," McCoy snapped. "You know what? You're right. Maybe you don't deserve it. But, you're missing the point." He said as Kirk's eyes stared up blankly at the ceiling. "We don't care." He said and Kirk's eyes met his. "We don't care if you deserve it, we're going to do whatever it takes to help you. You know why? Because _that's what family does._ " He sighed and let the words sink in. "You need to get some rest." McCoy snatched a hypo off of his tray and brought it to Kirk's neck.

"Thank you." Kirk said, almost inaudibly and a small smile formed on Kirk's lips.

"You're welcome, kid." McCoy said gently as he pressed the hypo into Kirk's neck.

As Kirk faded from consciousness, he smiled. He would do anything for his family, and they would stop at nothing to do the same for him.

/

 _Sorry about the lame ending. I promise, I'm a much better writer than this usually... Anyway, check out my other stories if you wish. I hope you enjoyed this one!_

 _-buckminsterbarnes_


End file.
